The Fumble and The Fix
by DanniWolf27
Summary: Rose almost gets hurt (again.) The two realize their feelings for each other, but he won't let let it be. it's my first story, so please review!
1. Chapter 1- A Mistake (On His Part)

"Where are we?" Rose asked. When the Doctor only smirked, she amended her question. "_When_ are we?"

"About six billion years into your future." He came around the console of the Tardis to stand beside her and motioned towards the door. "Well, go on, what are you waiting for?"

He watched as she ran forward, caught up in the excitement of somewhere new. She glanced back over her shoulder at him, grinning, and threw open the door. "Wow," she murmured, gazing out at the lush green grass that seemed to go on forever. She started to step out, but her foot went through the grass and plunged into water. "Yuck!" Rose jumped back, and the Doctor laughed.

"It's all water," he told her, opening the other door and gazing out at the never ending sea, obscured by water plants. "No land. We're simply floating."

"No land? No people?"

"Don't speak too soon, Rose," he said, motioning out over the water where a small thatch raft floated. They watched for a few moments before a creature surfaced and pulled itself onto the raft with its spindly arms. It was sleek and all grey, reminding Rose of a catfish. The creature's eyes were wide-set and it had fins running up its legs and arms. After a long moment it turned and studied them for a long moment before raising its hand in a wave. The doctor grinned and waved back. Then as swiftly as it had come, it took a rope in its hand and dove into the water, swimming away and pulling the raft along with it.

The two watched the raft disappear over the horizon before Rose asked, "How did you meet him? Or her?"

"Never met it before in my life," He replied, turning away and going back to the console. "And I think their pretty genderless."

He babbled on about some man-eating fish that lurked in the depths on this world, but Rose wasn't really listening. She got on her knees and leaned out of the Tardis and towards the sea grass a foot or so below. Beautiful flowers bloomed on the ends of each stalk, their long petals twisting into spirals, starting out purple and slowly turning to a deep gold at the tips. It was farther down than she though, so she lay on her stomach and reached out, plucking a perfect flower. She laid it on the floor of the Tardis and reached for a few more, thinking she could put them in a vase in her room. The water beneath her rippled, but she was focused on the flowers and didn't notice.

The doctor finally realized she wasn't listening when he heard her distant hum. "Rose, what are you…" he trailed off, his question lost as he watched rose laying on the floor, reaching out of the Tardis collecting flowers. He leaned against the railing and smiled, perfectly happy watching the sun glint off her golden hair, hearing her hum happily and seeing her smile as she pulled herself up, hands full of the delicate flowers.

But then he heard her scream.

"Next time I tell you about the man-eating wildlife, do listen," he chastised quietly as he bandaged her hand. She was sitting on the table in the medical room, soaked to the bone, her wet hair and clothes plastered to her. "Good thing it wasn't a big fish, it would have done more than scratch your hand and pull you into the water."

"And good thing I can swim," she said with a small smile, but the Doctor didn't let up, and she knew why. Her getting hurt so easily scared him. Anything could have happened, she could have drowned, she could have gotten killed, and it would have been on his hands. "I'm okay," she finally whispered.

He paused and looked up at her, his deep eyes full of worry, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a big, soggy hug. "I know, it's just that I heard you scream, and…" he trailed off and she pulled back, still in his arms, and looked up at him. Her eyes said it all. That she trusted him. That she needed him. His hearts stilled. "Rose…" he started, lost in her eyes, unable to get his thoughts on order or really think at all. She slid off the table and stood on her toes, and cutting him off with a kiss. He melted against her soft lips, pulling her tight against him. His tongue flicked her bottom lip, teasing it open, and then they were kissing, really kissing, and he thought both of his hearts were going to explode.

Then a terrible thought crossed the Doctor's mind. _Love. _That's what this was, the world spinning, every touch, every smile, something more. Nothing but him and rose in his arms. _His Rose. Finally._ This was love. He couldn't do this. He couldn't do this to her. She needed someone who would settle down with her, someone to take care of her when she got old. She didn't need him. Never growing, never changing, coming home with a new face, stumbling across the universe in a little blue box.

And he pulled back.

Rose let out a long breath, her lips pressed together like she was holding in the kiss. Finally her eyes flicked open and she smiled up at him. Her smile dissipated as she studied his face, he was frowning.

"Damn it," he murmured, and she pulled back, the hurt evident in her eyes.

"Really? We kiss and the first words out of your mouth are _damn it_?" she shook her head in disbelief and pulled away as he caught her arm. She turned away, furiously wiping away the tears that gathered in her eyes, and disappeared in the back rooms of the Tardis. The Doctor watched her go, heart heavy. He didn't follow her. He didn't try to explain himself; he didn't admit that he loved her more than she would ever know. He couldn't admit that. Not even to himself.


	2. Chapter 2- A Mistake (On Hers)

"It's mum's birthday, I'm going to spend a few days with her," Rose said lightly, and the Doctor looked from her stoic face to the suitcase and the Tardis' floor beside her.

"Just a few?" He murmured, but she didn't respond, and he didn't ask her to. They both knew that when she walked out of those doors, chances were, she wasn't coming back. Again, he didn't ask her to. It was better this way- or that's what he kept telling himself.

He had been steadily falling in love with her for months. It wasn't just love of body- yes, the way she moved, looked and laughed were intoxicating to him- it was more than that. it was love of mind. He loved her curiosity, the way she stood fast to what she believed, how she always ached for more. She had reached for the stars, and he brought them to her. And it was love of spirit. Rose Tyler was proud, courageous, and compassionate- everything the Doctor wasn't. She made him a better man. He had been content with that.

Then something changed. Her eyes lingered on him, a mere smile quickly becoming something more; that was when he knew she loved him too. He couldn't allow this to go on. Today, Rose Tyler was going to walk out of that Tardis and he was going to let her. It was better this way.

(or that's what he kept telling himself.)

He held fast to a simple truth- that he could never be to her what she was to him. And one day, inevitably, she would leave him, as all humans do. He shuddered at the thought of it and quickly pushed it from his mind. He could let her go, push her away himself, he could survive knowing his misery had come at his own hands. What he couldn't bare was spending the rest of her life with her. Watching her perfect face whither and grow tired. Watching her slip away. Or having her torn so violently from him. It was too dangerous- for her and his heart.

The Tardis landed and the two stood silently, looking around, at their shoes, anywhere but each other, each mulling over words neither had the gumption to say. Finally Rose picked up her bag and cast one last glance around her beloved Tardis. In the Doctor's mind he heard her whisper.

_Goodbye, my little wolf-cub. It is a shame that this is how we part ways._

Rose gave a little start and turned back to the console. The doctor watched with a curious frown- she was just a human, there's no way she could have heard the voice of his Tardis. He cast the thought from his mind, assuming she had heard the hum coming from the console that had accompanied her words. She shook her head and walked towards the door, running her hand down the hand-rail and murmuring, "Goodbye, old girl," With that, she strode out into the sunny London afternoon. The Doctor followed and stood in the doorway, not quite sure what to do with himself.

"Goodbye, Doctor," she murmured, her deep brown eyes studying him one last time.

"Goodbye, Rose." He tried to memorize the way she looked standing there, the afternoon sun glinting off of her golden hair. The pictures he had of them taped to the Tardis' console didn't do her justice. Even standing there now he swore she was too perfect to be true.

_If only this had been a dream. Bad Wolf and broken hearts- remember this, Doctor. Remember her._

The cold words of the Tardis echoed in his head as he watched his Rose retreat. Hearts heavy, he disappeared back inside the Tardis and closed the doors softly.

"Mum?"

"Rose!" Jackie ran out of the kitchen and threw her arms around her daughter, pulling her in for a tight hug. She noticed the bag on the floor. "Staying a few days?"

"Happy Birthday, Mum."

"Had a little spat with your Doctor, did you now?"

Rose had become excellent at avoiding questions. "Got any tea made?"


	3. Chapter 3- Apart

Three days later-

Jackie Tyler found her daughter lying on her old bed, frowning down at a photo album. The book was well loved. It's spine was broken and the corners of the pages were bent. It was full of pictures of her and the Doctor. The two of them were forever immortalized running, laughing; in one they were wearing matching oversized sombreros. But even the memory of the sunny planet couldn't bring a smile to Rose's face.

"He's not coming back, is he," Jackie asked softly. Rose closed the book and set it aside, fresh tears pooling in her eyes. Jackie sighed knowingly.

"If he did, would you go back to him?"

Rose leaned against her mother and cried harder, caught somewhere betweenno and _yes._

"Do you love him?"

"Yes,"

"And he loves you." Rose started to protest, but Jackie cut her off, hating to admit how in love they seemed. "He'll be back. I promise."

The Doctor was wandering the streets of London, lonely and bored. The sun was beginning to set on the silver city. In the distance he heard the Tube and the rush of people trying to get home. He pushed Rose out of his mind. She was gone. Never coming back, and he didn't want her to.

(oh, he did, he missed her, he wants her, he needs her-)

He turned the corner to where he had parked the Tardis, but paused when he saw a familiar figure leaning against the phone booth, talking to a tall man. He fingered the Sonic Screwdriver in his pocket as he approached. When he got close enough to recognize the pair, he almost laughed.

"Jack! Martha!" he called, grinning as they approached. Martha hugged him tightly and Jack planted a his on his lips.

"We knocked but no one answered," Martha shrugged. "We figured you and Rose went out so we waited here."

"Speaking of, " Jack interrupted. "Where is Rose?"

The doctor's face darkened and Martha gasped. "She's not dead," He said, cutting her off, brushing past them and into the Tardis. "She left. Went home."

Jack glanced at Martha and saw that her eyes mirrored the worry he felt. They ducked in after him and Jack asked, "What did you do?"

"Jack," Martha said sharply.

"What I had to," The doctor answered softly.

"You didn't give her that whole 'lonely time lord' speech did you?" Martha asked, aghast.

He shook his head. "I didn't have to. She read my mind."

"This is sudden," Jack muttered, leaning against the console, arms folded across his chest. "You two have been refusing to admit this for months. What happened? What changed?"

The Doctor suddenly found his shoes very interesting.

"You two didn't shag-" Martha gasped.

The Doctor's head shot up. "No! I would never- all we did was kiss."

"Must have been some kiss," Jack muttered, earning him a glare from both parties. He shrugged. "Well, you're not going to sit here and mope, are you? You're not going to let her get away."

The Doctor took a long look around the Tardis, taking in how empty it felt without her there. Rose belonged here, with him, and at the same time, he knew she didn't. He was only being selfish_. I'm the one doomed to wander the universe alone for all of time, _he thought to himself._ She belongs home, in London with her family. I hope she knows that._

"Hope she knows what? That you're not going to let her get away?" Martha asked, and he realized rather dumbly that he had said the last part aloud. He started to shake his head and sighed again as he walked to the controls.

"In or out?"

"Where are we going?"

"Away." He started to spin a dial, but jack caught his arm.

"Oh, no you don't. If you don't go get her, I will."


End file.
